


Heart Cords

by Stingythefish



Category: Cosmere - Brandon Sanderson, Stormlight Archive - Brandon Sanderson
Genre: Dawnshard, Dawnshard Spoilers, F/F, Fluff, Girls Kissing, Internalized Homophobia, Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:56:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27443755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stingythefish/pseuds/Stingythefish
Summary: DAWNSHARD SPOILERS!!!After...everything that happened, Rysn finally has a night to relax in a proper bed. The only bed in the room, the room that she and Cord are sharing.
Relationships: Rysn/Cord
Comments: 5
Kudos: 27





	Heart Cords

Rysn sighed, resting her head against the plush pillow. On her lap, Chiri-Chiri had curled up, snoozing softly. Outside, a highstorm was raging, muffle rumbles of thunder crashing distantly. A week had passed since that fateful day at Akinah, and still the events swirled around in Rysn’s mind, a maelstrom of memories that vied for dominance in her brain. Even now she could barely believe all that had happened. Nikli, the Sleepless, and now, the  _ Command _ that sat within her brain. 

_ I have a Dawnshard...no, I  _ am _ a Dawnshard _ , she thought. It was still so strange to consider that fact, particularly because she didn’t really know what being a Dawnshard  _ meant _ . Would life change for her? What would happen, now? She could only speculate, and hope that whatever the case, she wouldn’t draw suspicion. Keeping Odium and forces with similar ill intents away from the Command was the duty she’d agreed to, and she would not fail.

Rysn forced herself to stop thinking about it. Though she would need to process everything eventually, for now, she was resting. The  _ Wandersail _ had sailed into port at a Thaylen city a few hours ago, to weather the coming highstorm and to rest and resupply. Come the morning, they would journey to Thaylen City and take the Oathgate back to Urithiru, and deliver Queen Navani news of what had happened in person. For now, however, Rysn had a moment’s rest from the rocking of the ship, and from her duties as its owner. A moment to just...rest.

A flicker of movement off to the side drew her eye. A cremling crawled upon the wall, its back patterned with a fleshy tone. One of the Sleepless, accompanying her both for their deal and to keep an eye on her.  _ I’ll never look at cremlings the same, _ Rysn thought with a small chill. 

Footsteps. There was a knock at the door. “Rysn? Can I come in?” Cord’s voice.

“Yes!” She answered.

It opened, and Cord walked in. Her Shardplate was removed, to her reluctance; the Horneater woman hadn’t wanted to part with it and had even slept in it, but in the end had agreed to take it off for the night’s stay in Thaylen.

Things had gotten complicated, since Nikli had been revealed to be a traitor (and later, a Sleepless). Without a porter, Rysn had been forced to rely on the sailors of the  _ Wandersail _ to get her to places even her fancy new fabrial chair couldn’t. Though they’d come to appreciate her, waiting on her wasn’t exactly the lifestyle a sailor hoped for, and she could tell none wanted to be there. Since Akinah, though, Rysn couldn’t trust any of the  _ Wandersail’s _ crew to be her new porter. They might hear or infer important details or secrets, the kind that could spell the end of Roshar. Cord, however, had been there for the deal between Rysn and the Sleepless. She knew the details, and was the only person Rysn could confide in. So, at least for the trip back to Urithiru, she agreed to act as Rysn’s porter, at least when she wasn’t also handling cooking.

“Everything alright?” Rysn asked, petting Chiri-Chiri idly.

Cord nodded. “Father is leaving soon, or at least, he intends to. I’m hoping we can return to Urithiru quickly; I’d like to see him, maybe talk him out of…” She trailed off, seeming ashamed.

Rysn opted not to poke at the situation with the Radiant Horneater. Cord had only left for a little bit to talk with her father via spanreed, and now that she was back Rysn allowed herself to relax. Despite having the Sleepless around as an added protection, and knowing that she was just being irrational, she couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious. What if, somehow, the enemy had found out about the deal she’d made? What if assassins were waiting for the right moment to strike? What if she was in terrible danger?

_ This was what you agreed to, _ she told herself.  _ Besides, they can’t have known about the deal. We were the only people in that cavern _ .

“I’m sure we’ll return in good time,” she replied to Cord. “Come on, there’s no point in thinking about that right now. Why don’t you take a seat and relax?”

Cord seemed uncertain. “I...I shouldn’t. I’m supposed to be your bodyguard.”

Rysn waved a dismissive hand. “You’re not just a bodyguard, Cord. You’re my friend. Sure, you’re also here to protect me, and to be my confidant. But that’s not what I think of you as. We have plenty of protection as it is anyway, at least, without drawing any real suspicion.”

That got the Horneater to give in. She crossed the room and sat at the chair next to Rysn’s bed, her body instantly relaxing. Chiri-Chiri briefly perked up, but settled back down. Outside, the highstorm continued to rage, and Rysn simply stared at the far wall, her thoughts blurring together absently. 

Time ticked away. The journey to and from Aimia had clearly worn both Rysn and Cord out, and neither woman stirred nor spoke as the night went on. Eventually, Rysn’s eyelids began to drift, and she could feel sleep taking her.

Then, Chiri-Chiri rose, stretching. She chirped at Rysn, causing her to sit up straight, fully conscious. Taking wing, Chiri-Chiri soared across the room and settled at the nighttable. Then, without warning, she consumed the Stormlight within the lamp set there. The room was suddenly bathed in darkness.

“Rysn?” Cord’s voice came, suddenly alarmed.

“Sorry,” she responded. “Chiri-Chiri decided she was hungry.” She called to the larkin, but Chiri-Chiri, it seemed, was being stubborn, and remained where she was.

“It’s alright,” Cord said, sounding like she was calming down. “We should both be going to sleep now anyway.”

Rysn nodded--then froze. “Storms. I’m sorry. I didn’t even consider you. You need a bed, don’t you?” There was only one in this room, and Rysn was currently sat square in the middle of it.

“Oh, no, it’s fine. I can sleep on this chair. It’s far more comfortable than the  _ Wandersail’s _ chambers.” She laughed.

Rysn didn’t join her. “No, it’s not right of me to leave one of my crew to sleep in a cramped chair of all places. You take the bed; I’m more than used to chairs, as you know.”

“Which is why you should have the right to finally be rid of one, at least for one night. Come on, you’re the ship’s leader, you deserve the bed.”

“A leader should never presume to be entitled to anything that her crew wouldn’t be. You deserve it just as much as me.”

There was a silence. “Then…” Cord began, “perhaps...we should both take the bed.”

Rysn paused.

Then blushed. “O-Oh. Um. If you...if you really want.”

There was a shuffling sound. Squinting, Rysn peered into the darkness, her eyes slowly adjusting to the low light level. Cord had stood up, and, her posture indicating apprehension, was making for the bed. Hurriedly, Rysn slid over, dragging her legs with her, giving the Horneater ample room. The blanket moved, and in a moment Cord had settled in.

_ Why is my heart beating so fast? _ Rysn thought, her cheeks still warm. It wasn’t as though she was sleeping beside a man. Cord was a woman, and her friend, despite their short time together. There was no reason to be...feeling like this.

The large Horneater woman was lying with her back facing Rysn.  _ Guess I should lie down. _ Rysn scooted herself down, moving from her sitting position to her back. She forced herself to close her eyes, forced herself to think of nothing but sleep. Yet, her heart continued to pound, her face continued to flush, and she continued to be unsure as to why.

_ It’s just Cord. What are you thinking? _

Her eyes had adjusted. Even in the darkness, she could make out the details of Cord’s arm muscles, and the sliver of the skin of her back that peaked out from her shirt. Rysn’s cheeks only burned brighter as she stared.  _ What am I doing? _ Yet, despite her mind’s protests, her body slowly shifted, twisting over to lie on its side, until she was facing Cord’s back directly. Her heart pounded. Inside her mind, Cord appeared, with her powerful muscles wet from the ocean water around Aimia. Her determined expression, her vibrantly red hair. Her pretty face, with those beautiful eyes, and gorgeous smile, and…

And…

And.

Um.

_ Uh oh. _

Cord suddenly moved, turned one hundred and eighty degrees, suddenly facing Rysn. Their faces were only a few inches apart now, and despite the darkness, Rysn thought she could make out red dusting the other woman’s cheeks.

“U-Uh,” she squeaked.  _ Storms _ . She should apologize, turn away, do  _ something _ to make this less awkward. But she couldn’t move, could barely speak. All she could do was continue to stare into Cord’s eyes, transfixed.

And then, Cord moved again. Slow, gentle. Rysn’s mind was frozen, and yet moving a million miles per hour, and all she could do was watch as Cord shortened the distance between them. Their eyes were locked, and their noses brushed. An  _ aching _ pierced Rysn’s heart, a desperate desire she couldn’t quite understand, yet she knew that strangely, she  _ wanted _ this.

Cord stopped. Their noses were touching, their breathes mixing, their eyes still locked, yet she seemed to be apprehensive, worried about fully committing. A small part of Rysn told her to  _ stop _ this, that she shouldn’t, that somehow, it wasn’t right. The other, much larger part of her, ignored that voice, and, throwing caution to the wind, she closed the distance.

Cord’s lips were soft. Soft, yet firm. And so, so sweet. A feeling of bliss surged through Rysn, her heart soaring, her hands finding the other woman’s waist. She couldn’t believe what she was doing--but she had no desire to stop. Hungrily, she took in Cord’s lips, the other woman matching her passion. Their mouths danced together, their hands pulling each other closer, and eventually they had to break apart for breath.

“I...I-I’m sorry,” Cord managed, her voice stopping Rysn from diving in for more.

Rysn frowned. “Why?”

“I...I shouldn’t have done that. I should have at least asked…”

Rysn giggled softly, shaking her head. “I initiated. You don’t have to apologize. I...hope that wasn’t wrong of me.”

Cord shook her head hurriedly. “No, not at all! It...it felt good.”

“It felt good for me too.”

There was silence. Rysn flushed again, and her eyes left Cord’s in embarrassment.

“Do you...want to do it again?” Cord’s voice was a whisper.

Rysn looked back up. In the other woman’s eyes, she saw the same passion, the same desire. The same love.

She smiled. “Absolutely.”


End file.
